ZESCO ‘LOADSHEDDED’
Chitiya Mususu broke the deadlock three minutes after kickoff, beating Zesco United goal keeper Dieudone Ntibahezwa with a low shot from inside the eighteen yard box.
MTN/FAZ Super Division defending champions Zesco United have continued to struggle after picking their third consecutive defeat following a 3-0 thumping by rejuvenated Zanaco FC in a week-18 fixture played at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka yesterday.
A brace from striker Rodger Kola and a lone goal from Chitiya Mususu handed Zanaco maximum points and maintained Chris Kaunda’s unbeaten record which stretched to three games since he replaced Numba Mumamba as head coach at Sunset Stadium.
It was sweet revenge for the Bankers who had lost the reverse fixture 1-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Chitiya Mususu broke the deadlock three minutes after kickoff, beating Zesco United goal keeper Dieudone Ntibahezwa with a low shot from inside the eighteen yard box.
Striker Rodger Kola then doubled Zanaco’s advantage in the nineth minute after he rose high to head in Lasa Kiara’s free kick from a foul won by speedy winger Charles Zulu.
Zanaco continued to dominate and were 3-nil up by the 20th minute mark as Kola completed his brace after tapping in Kelvin Owusu’s cross.
Three goals within 20 minutes compelled Zesco United coach George Lwandamina to make a first half substitution by introducing defender Mwila Phiri for Kondwani Mtonga.
Zesco had a few attempts on goal through Winston Kalengo and Jese Were but were unfortunate as they failed to find the back of the net in the first half which ended 3-0 in favor of Zanaco.
Former Zanaco midfielder Tafadwa Rusike came close to scoring in the 69th but was unfortunate as his long range shot hit the post.
Kaunda introduced Zanaco’s new signing William Njovu who replaced Ernest Mbewe and the former Nkwazi midfielder went on to have a fair game as the Bankers held on to their first half goals to triumph against the struggling Ndola giants.
The win propelled Zanaco to 13th on the 18-team Super Division table, much to the delight of Kaunda who hailed his boys for staying focused to collect maximum points. Kaunda said the win was a huge motivation as the team tries to fight for a top four finish to qualify for Continental games.
Meanwhile, Zesco United coach George Lwandamina attributed the defeat to a bad phase the Ndola giants are going through.
Lwandamina is however confident Zesco would recover from a losing streak which has seen them maintaining fourth position on the log with 31-points.